Monday, November 1, 2010

Hi Roxiecakes Fans!!Thanks so much for following my work here on the blog!If you are wondering why I haven't posted in forever, its because I have a new business name and blog, and I hope you will join me over there where 'Life's Sweet!'www.jenniferstaffordevents.blogspot.com

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Hello Roxiecakes Fans & Friends! Just a short note to thank everyone for following along with me on this baking adventure I started almost 2 years ago!

With the success of Roxiecakes I couldn't shake my nagging obsession for special events, and not just the dessert side of things...thus I have launched my new business and merged all of my abilities & interests under one big happy umbrella...(drumroll please).........I give you....Jennifer Stafford Events!

I hope that you will join me on this new endeavor and visit my new site & blog!

Thursday, September 2, 2010

My husband and I celebrated our very first wedding anniversary this past weekend...cannot believe its been a year *tear* since this....

Anyway to celebrate the day I promised to put all cake related projects on hold...and we started out the day with a nice walk on Jericho Beach, then off to our neighborhood Milestones for brunch.For the afternoon we took our Yorkie Samson canoeing on Widgeon Creek (so recommend this), and had a great day floating around and picnicing on the little spits of land along the way.

I also pulled out our wedding cake (which I made) from the freezer for a quick bite...supposed to be good luck, and hey, its tradition!Here is the original cake set up:

And one year later:

It was just a little cake for cutting, and something I whipped up last minute. After all the planning and running around I didn't give our little cake enough thought, I really should have had someone else do the cake & cupcakes for me, but I was a stubborn DIY bride..but in hind sight it would have been a load off my shoulders..but it turned out well - and it still tasted great 1 year later!

For some fresh desserts, I made my hubby these little 'Love Pops'

All in all a great day.

Here is to many more anniversaries just like it- Happy Anniversary Honey!!

White wedding continued...here is a 4 tiered faux wedding cake using eyelet lace and pearls as my inspiration. The bride had seen an eyelet lace cake on the the Martha Stewart Weddings site here: Eyelet Lace Cake...and while I don't copy other cakes, I still wanted it to be similar to what the bride wanted, and I hope that I achieved that here :)There is also a sneaky little piece (that I forgot to take a pic of ) in the back of real cake for the cake cutting ceremony- best of both worlds!!!

White cake pops for a all white wedding dessert table, for Reesa of YUM Dessert Decor, who was also the bride!Delivered to the ever elegant Brockhouse Restaurant on Jericho Beach (LOVE IT!)I can't wait to get final pics of this dessert buffet...as I was also lucky enough to provide a cake and some diabetic friendly sugar cookies for it as well.

I am so pleased with how these turned out, they are a little fussy to work with, but once I got the hang of it it was a blast! I hope these are cake pops that Bakerella would be proud of!

Since I was in cookie lolly mode, I thought I'd make another cute little cookie...here is my Leo the Lion version of the Cookie Lolly.Giant sugar cookie with vanilla buttercream icing and fondant face.I put this guy together on our way out the door to a special 1yr old's bday party...he has a very long regal name that is sweetly shortened to Max...so I figured he has to have the book, "Where the Wild Things Are"...because its all about King Max, and his adventures.Cookies and books...I like this pairing...but I also feel like cookies go with everything..:)Happy Birthday King Max!

My good buddy Ash wanted some cookie lolly's for her little man's 2nd bday- and when I asked her what she'd like them to look like, she said my three favorite words ..."Just Get Creative"...!!! YAY! So love having creative license ..gives me a chance to try out something on my 'to-do' list...and these little pirate faces are something I've wanted to try for a while!

I wish I had taken pics of the kiddies faces when they received their cookie favors...it was priceless! I just love being able to see the reactions ...you would think that little ones would have the cookies in pieces pretty quick, but they can also be soo gentle with something when they are inspecting them, running their hands over the fondant face, and just taking it all in- good times!

So here they are - Happy Birthday Malcolm!!!Sugar Cookies with buttercream icing, and fondant faces.

'Boy' Cookies with their afternoon shadowGirl cookies with their rosy pink cheeks

Reesa from YUM Dessert Decor had a vision of shoe box cakes, featuring the famous red soled Christian Louboutin pumps! Her lucky out of town guests would each receive one along with a number of other gifties in their guest rooms (sooo love welcome gifts for out of town guests, what a way to show them you appreciate them making the trek to share in your special day!).

For my hubby's birthday it was very tempting NOT to make him a cake, we were sooo busy there was barely time to pull it off, PLUS he is the proud recipient of buckets of Roxiecakes leftovers, (and rejects), so I was worried that cake would be the last thing he wanted for his bday..(I know crazy, but he's doesn't have the sweet tooth that I do!).

Anyway.... I felt that since he puts up with me baking into the wee hours of the night, and on weekends for everyone else, that I should at least be able to squeeze him in for his bday.

So here is my husbands camping cake (if you know him, you know what an outdoors-a-holic he is..he would be perfectly content to live in a mountain cave somewhere...sooo opposite of me!)

The cake is a combo of chocolate cake & lemon cake, filled with italian meringue buttercream and chocolate ganache.The camping essentials are made with fondant, (even our beloved Yorkie Sam!) and the use of some black licorice for the tent support beams :)

And of course paw prints, since he likes to be closer to animals than civilization...and he likes to say "the bears are more afraid of us then we are of them" ...yeah, okay, I feel like those are famous last words (and the reason why I get NO sleep when we camp!)

When I first got an email requesting a ma-jong cake or cupcakes I was thrilled! What a cool design concept, and a certainly something I remember from my childhood. I can't say I've ever really learned how to play Ma-Jong, but I have played the computer version, and have used these beautiful tiles like building blocks.My aunt used to have a Ma-Jong board in her basement; at family functions we'd always sneak away to 're-arrange' the game that was already laid out ;) as well as build big Ma-Jong towers and marvel at the little images on the tiles.

So I had a great time making this cake, it brought back some great childhood memories of me and my halfie-siblings & cousins, and I was able to borrow my parents Ma-Jong set for inspiration....when I brought this home, I was shocked to find that my husband had never heard of it!

Its a mango cake, baked with fresh pureed mangos, and filled with italian meringue buttercream.The tiles and game pieces are fondant & gumpaste, hand painted, and drawn with edible paint & pens.

Friday, August 27, 2010

Do you realise how many bakeries in your area, including those super expensive specialty cake stores, use prepackaged mixes to create their products?You might be on this page because you clicked on the BFS logo. So here's what it's about.Below is a list of bakers, both professionals and enthusiasts, who take pride in letting you know that all their items are baked from scratch. That means we don't take any shortcuts or use any mixes.We do it for the taste, the skill, the quality and to preserve the traditions. And we want you to know it.

Its mostly run on the honor system for those bakers that truly do bake from scratch. No offense to Betty Crocker, or Duncan Hines, etc... but for me there is nothing better than a scratch recipe.Rather than including a laundry list of ingredients, preservatives, color, etc.. I much prefer to use real butter, pure vanilla, free range eggs, fresh cream, real chopped chocolate...and all of those good old fashioned ingredients. Its nice to be able to tell my clients exactly what's in their baked goodies, with nothing hidden in the fine print.

I can't say I've NEVER used a cake mix to make last minute treats for family, because they sure are convenient, but when it comes to my Roxiecakes Creations it is always home made from scratch.

This is also where you see the difference in price; rather than have a machine mix up a batch of prepared cake mix for me, like your commercially prepared cupcakes/cakes, I bake it from scratch, and create your custom goodies, with only the help of me, myself and I, while I could sure use a workshop full of elves...

So I am happy to join a long list of BFS'ers that are baking up only the best!

Friday, August 13, 2010

I just love checking my email each day because there are always great emails from cake customers with new challenges for me, and positive feedback from their most recent cake/cupcake/cookie experience.
It's always so bittersweet once the desserts have been delivered- there is so much stress and worrying over whether the client will like your creations. And I am sometimes sad to see the cake/cupcakes go- you start to get attached (almost) since there is so much time and detail poured into everything.
I would love to see some hidden camera footage on the reactions at the party!
So anyway, here is some recent feedback from my customers, and it is so nice to have and keeps me inspired :)

Hi Jen,I just had to tell you that I was at a wedding last weekend & they had cupcakes from someone locally here in ********** & there was NO COMPARISON either in looks or taste to yours. Yours ROCK.....Cheers

Hi Jennifer, I just wanted to thank you again for such an amazing cake! It was definately a big hit and was gone in no time. ----------Thought I'd enclose a couple pictures. I love checking out your blog from time to time to look at all the cool creations you've done Thank you again for the perfect cake and you'll be hearing from me in the future.

Hey Jen,I just wanted to let you know our experience with your desserts.
We went through the cake pops so fast every kid that was there went nuts over them, especially when they realized they could bite into them. The sugar cookies were also a hit, I wish we had a picture of one adorable little boy that wanted nothing but the sugar cookies, he was double fisting them all night. The second he would eat one he would come get another one, he could not just have one in his hands he always needed two. It was so adorable.

Hi Jen!Just wanted to say thank you so much for the beautiful cake & cupcakes! They were very surprised and everyone was shocked by how adorable it all was! Very impressive! And the cupcakes were incredibly delicious, as well as the cake.

Hi Jen
Just a short note to let you know my sincere appreciation.
I didn't want you to think that after bugging, nagging and reminding you, I'd gone quiet after it was delivered!
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

Hi Jen,Just sat down at the computer after a hectic weekend - and I want to say thank you SO much for the fabulous cake. You did such a great job on it and so delicious too. It was the center of attention and I really do appreciate all the effort you put into it.Thanks again, and take care.

Hi Jen, thanks for the wonderful chocolate cake last Saturday, it was perfect.

Hi Jen,Thank you so much for the cakes!!! The girls has a GREAT time. Many said it was the best birthday ever, and all the parents absolutely loved the idea and asked for your contact info. Good thing it was on the boxes!!

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

I had the chance to work with YUM Dessert Decor again this past weekend, as they were working on a crazy dessert buffet for a wedding out at Swan-e-Set.
The wedding colors were burnt orange, choc brown and ivory- with a custom monogram created for them.

Here are my contributions:

Sugar cookies with buttercream and fondant covers, and a royal icing monogram.

Specialty cupcakes, cakes, and cookies with a designer look, but great home-baked taste! Let me create the desserts for your next special event or just because!
Contact me today with your ideas.
Email: roxiecakesvancouver@yahoo.ca OR Call Jen at 604-836-9419